Thanks Cliff and Steve. Bob and Fatima were around for tea last night. Bob appreciated your kind words and comments. He loves the Moroccan picture brought his memories and stories flooding back.
Promotor organised an all British Trade Exhibition at the Royal Al Mansour in March 1990. We had four drivers or ex drivers working on it.
I have to confess that until this morning I hadn’t visited this thread simply because overseas travel doesn’t interest me in the slightest as I have never left this island and never will. However I have perused it this morning because, after talking with my mother (aged 93) and seeing some photos at the weekend, I thought there may be some information and/or pics of my ‘birth land’ of Libya. However there is very little mention of it and no pics, did no UK based hauliers run there regularly. Mum said that Benghazi (where I was born) and Tripoli were thriving ports when ‘we’ were there but maybe that isn’t the case these days or even back when you lads were on the North Africa routes? She still mentions the Derna Pass where passengers left the bus and walked down it as it was safer than stopping on board! 
Pete.
windrush:
I have to confess that until this morning I hadn’t visited this thread simply because overseas travel doesn’t interest me in the slightest as I have never left this island and never will. However I have perused it this morning because, after talking with my mother (aged 93) and seeing some photos at the weekend, I thought there may be some information and/or pics of my ‘birth land’ of Libya. However there is very little mention of it and no pics, did no UK based hauliers run there regularly. Mum said that Benghazi (where I was born) and Tripoli were thriving ports when ‘we’ were there but maybe that isn’t the case these days or even back when you lads were on the North Africa routes? She still mentions the Derna Pass where passengers left the bus and walked down it as it was safer than stopping on board!Pete.
Only a trickle of UK lorries ever went to Libya. It wasn’t a regular route. However, I have been to Libya and I posted some lorry pics I took there, on page 9 of this thread. The most bizarre thing was discovering one of the lorries I used to drive to Morocco parked by the main road, still bearing its Scottish registration plate along with its new Libyan one! Robert
Thank’s for that Robert, I wasn’t sure if Libya was/is a ‘no go area’ as my parents wanted to return there with my younger brother for their silver wedding in 1972 but they were told the closest they could get to it was Tunisia, which is where they finally went in the end.
Pete.
windrush:
Thank’s for that Robert, I wasn’t sure if Libya was/is a ‘no go area’ as my parents wanted to return there with my younger brother for their silver wedding in 1972 but they were told the closest they could get to it was Tunisia, which is where they finally went in the end.Pete.
Current Foreign Office advice is for no travel to Libya and for any UK citizens to leave immediately by any means available.
No popping over on Easy Jet for a weekend!
.
We sometimes do gear for Algeria and Tunisia but only as far as Marseille and other Med ports. Gotta be cheaper and quicker by boat?
Previously taken Libyan gear to Genova but that was before overthrow of Gaddaffi and current troubles.
Some of you on here might have known him, as he was an old Breda driver, but it’s with sadness that I’ve heard about the passing of Peter (bolle Peer) van Schouwen.
An absolute gent, may he rest in peace.
windrush:
I have to confess that until this morning I hadn’t visited this thread simply because overseas travel doesn’t interest me in the slightest as I have never left this island and never will. However I have perused it this morning because, after talking with my mother (aged 93) and seeing some photos at the weekend, I thought there may be some information and/or pics of my ‘birth land’ of Libya. However there is very little mention of it and no pics, did no UK based hauliers run there regularly. Mum said that Benghazi (where I was born) and Tripoli were thriving ports when ‘we’ were there but maybe that isn’t the case these days or even back when you lads were on the North Africa routes? She still mentions the Derna Pass where passengers left the bus and walked down it as it was safer than stopping on board!Pete.
Maybe this is of interest to Windrush’s mother.https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1595&v=K1HHMrp07tE&feature=emb_logo
Tunisia / Sahara, they looked down at my flip flops and asked me if I was afraid of scorpions…changed into my boots quite sharpish…
Ade1970:
Another old face…
I remember him. Lovely old boy. Can’t recall the name though.
An old mate of mine went by the name of Russ Robinson from Scunthorpe was on for John Mann when I was on for G&S.
Used to see him regularly on the Bilbao on a Saturday night and down at Robbies just after the tunnel at Somosierra.
I lost touch with him for quite a while only to bump into him to find out he’d been jailed for 6 months for trying to smuggle a girl he’d met in Morocco back into the UK.
That must’ve been near on 20 years ago, don’t suppose anybody remembers the incident and knows if he’s still about.
Worst decision of my life.My truck and customer’s fridge for the trip from Cambridge area to Annaba,Algeria.Down to Marseilles for ferry.Met two 'kin brit idiots on same trip and went for a drink night before departure .Next morning I loaded all 3 trucks onto ship because idiots were still wrecked.Really boring trip across the med.Algerian importer only unloads 2 trucks per day.The two star drivers gave away almost everything they owned in bribes to get tipped.I didn’t and waited a week on Annaba dock for ferry a week later.Last to load onto ferry a week later and went to cabin.5 mins.later,knock on door.Police arrested me because cases of alcohol discovered in engine room of ship.A week later boarded ship again for Marseilles.Instructed to reload in Seville! 2 weeks later offloaded and return to Cambridge.Found out that the customer (not certain but Funston? rings a bell)had charged me £100/day rental for his trailer which,in total,amounted to more than the revenue from the 2 loads I had delivered.Customer locks himself in office and calls police so he can get home in one piece.
All good experience,I suppose.
ERF-NGC-European:
Ade1970:
Another old face…I remember him. Lovely old boy. Can’t recall the name though.
Chris Hillier I think…